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The Road to Avalon
(Dark Ages of Britain #1)
by
The pageantry and passionate intrigues of King Arthur’s court are expertly re-created in this historical novel—the only Arthurian novel in which all of the central characters are portrayed as intrinsically good people. This realistic retelling of the legend shows Arthur severing the bonds of bastardy, vanquishing the Saxons, and loving one woman. As the daring teenage warr
...more
Paperback, 368 pages
Published
May 28th 2007
by Chicago Review Press
(first published 1988)
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Start your review of The Road to Avalon (Dark Ages of Britain, #1)
I cannot resist most Arthurian novels my favourite being The Merlin series by Mary Stewart and the Queen of camelot by Nancy McKenzie
This novel focuses on the relationship between Morgan (here Merlins daughter) and Arthur. Morgan being Arthur's love of his life
But sympathetic portrayal of Gwenhwyfhar too and her relationship with Bedwyr (who is Lancelot )
Great read, good grasp of Britain at the time
The villain of the piece is usually a minor character in Arthurian literature , but it is well bro ...more
This novel focuses on the relationship between Morgan (here Merlins daughter) and Arthur. Morgan being Arthur's love of his life
But sympathetic portrayal of Gwenhwyfhar too and her relationship with Bedwyr (who is Lancelot )
Great read, good grasp of Britain at the time
The villain of the piece is usually a minor character in Arthurian literature , but it is well bro ...more
This was a great read -- I could not put it down. It was wonderful to start with the young Arthur and the experiences that made him the man - king -- that he was. The love story between Arthur and Morgan is truly heartbreaking and will bring tears to your eyes. The scene where Arthur comes face to face with the son he didn't know he had is gut wrenching.
I highly recommend this book, as well as the other two that follow in this trilogy, Born of the Sun and The Edge of Light. I wish the author wo ...more
I highly recommend this book, as well as the other two that follow in this trilogy, Born of the Sun and The Edge of Light. I wish the author wo ...more
I'm obsessed with Arthurian legend. I can't find an arthurian legend book without wanting to pick it up. Morgana le fay, Arthur, Merlin, Guinevere, Nimueh, Lancelot…. any of these character's names shows up and I have to get the book. It's rather unhealthy.
I read this book a long time ago, but just had to read it again. My favorite relationship of the legend is that between Arthur and Morgana, but unfortunately most stories only focus on the hate and loathing, while I see them as the most tragic ...more
I read this book a long time ago, but just had to read it again. My favorite relationship of the legend is that between Arthur and Morgana, but unfortunately most stories only focus on the hate and loathing, while I see them as the most tragic ...more
The author repeats lines and themes, leaves out important pieces, and does not bring many important characters to life. There are frequent occasions when she tells us about events rather than bringing us into the story. I enjoyed some ideas she had about character motivation but was disappointed with the execution of those ideas.
I read this book so long ago I can't really recall what year it was. I am guessing somewhere around 1988. It is one of my all time favorites.
This book sucked me in. At the time I really wasn't much of a reader but I got the "itch" to read one day and took the time to hang out in the library long enough to find this one. I literally walked up and down the isles just looking at titles and covers waiting for something to call out to me. When I came across this one I decided it looked interesting e ...more
This book sucked me in. At the time I really wasn't much of a reader but I got the "itch" to read one day and took the time to hang out in the library long enough to find this one. I literally walked up and down the isles just looking at titles and covers waiting for something to call out to me. When I came across this one I decided it looked interesting e ...more
Here is a PG13 version of the classic Arthurian legend. Not to say that's bad, but perhaps a little annoying. Everyone is beautiful and so talented and so very one dimensional. It wasn't an unpleasant read but juvenial. I thought perhaps this was aimed at younger readers but it doesn't appear to be. Shame, I think that demographic would actually embrace this simplistic, utopian version. For the more experianced Arthurian reader, however, it will fail to impress. I'm sounding like a snob, I know,
...more
The first book of a trilogy on the Dark Ages, very well written.
This was a real page-turner. The characters were all well fleshed out and I really enjoyed the variations on the story of the Arthurian legends. Arthur and Morgan were both especially well done, and I really felt for the character Mordred. It didn't take me long to storm through this book and it is an Arthurian retelling that I will revisit in future.
...more
Oct 11, 2011
Kim
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
Arthurian devotees
Shelves:
era-arthurian,
other-favorites
An absolutely gorgeous retelling of the Arthurian legends. I was enthralled from start to finish, and could hardly be convinced to put the book down once I'd started.
(view spoiler) ...more
(view spoiler) ...more
The Road to Avalon is a beautifully written version of the legendary Arthur and his journey from boyhood to king. It is a tale of love and loss, courage, sacrifice, and secrets .....heartbreaking at times as the young man Arthur struggles with his deep love for a woman he can never have and the weight of his destiny.
"Be the king you were born to be...."
Loved this book -- a true gem from the past. ...more
"Be the king you were born to be...."
Loved this book -- a true gem from the past. ...more
This is a solid, realistic retelling of the Arthurian story, with a few unique twists. After an abusive childhood, Arthur is rescued by his grandfather, Merlin, and brought back to Avalon. There, he falls in love with Merlin's daughter Morgan and their relationship influences everything else that transpires - his kingship, his marriage, and his death.
From that small synopsis, it's apparent how Joan Wolf has played with the standard Arthurian myth and reconfigured some of the key relationships. ...more
From that small synopsis, it's apparent how Joan Wolf has played with the standard Arthurian myth and reconfigured some of the key relationships. ...more
I'm trying to read as many retelling of the Arthurian myth as I can and I was intrigued by the unique approach of this book. The main difference was the reimagined family and romantic relationships.
Sadly, for a book that has romance as one of its selling points all the romantic relationships all felt a little flat to me. I was much more interested in reading about the platonic and family connections, to the point that I was a little annoyed when the focus switched back to the romance.
Where thi ...more
Sadly, for a book that has romance as one of its selling points all the romantic relationships all felt a little flat to me. I was much more interested in reading about the platonic and family connections, to the point that I was a little annoyed when the focus switched back to the romance.
Where thi ...more
Any fan of fantasy or of historical drama has read or watched at least two versions of the Arthurian legend. While all take on a slightly different telling, this one by far is the most unique I've read and also the best I've read.
And no, that's not because it support my Arthur/Morgan love.
Focused on a Britain left to its own devices after the Roman Empire pulls out in the early dark ages, Merlin, a former Roman General learns from his daughter, Igraine, that her husband Uther is dying. The frust ...more
And no, that's not because it support my Arthur/Morgan love.
Focused on a Britain left to its own devices after the Roman Empire pulls out in the early dark ages, Merlin, a former Roman General learns from his daughter, Igraine, that her husband Uther is dying. The frust ...more
This is not the smutty historical I usually prefer. This is no where near the most historically accurate representation of Arthur. Well written? Hardly. But I have read it it at least 4 times, including last week. That last scene with Arthur and Morgan and the lavender in her hair STILL gets me. Every. Damn. Time.
“Be the king you were born to be,” she said at last.
Okay so Kayla was the one who recommended this book to me so I knew it would be good. As far as Arthurian Legend goes it feels a bit inaccurate but none-the-less it's still a brilliant adaption and I loved the Arthur/Morgan focus of it.
However! I will admit I found parts of it boring and far too lengthy. So many things had long winded descriptions that really didn't need it whereas other parts that perhaps needed a bit more description were sh ...more
Okay so Kayla was the one who recommended this book to me so I knew it would be good. As far as Arthurian Legend goes it feels a bit inaccurate but none-the-less it's still a brilliant adaption and I loved the Arthur/Morgan focus of it.
However! I will admit I found parts of it boring and far too lengthy. So many things had long winded descriptions that really didn't need it whereas other parts that perhaps needed a bit more description were sh ...more
I've read a lot of novels about arthurian legend but this one is very different from all the others. All the characters seem new characters but not in a bad sense.
Maybe the only bad thing about this novel is that it is not written by one point of view and the feeling I had was that it was a bit confusing while passing throught different narrators even in the same page. Still, the book is amazing. Morgause and Morgana are completely rewritten from the 'tradition' of other arthurian novels I've r ...more
Maybe the only bad thing about this novel is that it is not written by one point of view and the feeling I had was that it was a bit confusing while passing throught different narrators even in the same page. Still, the book is amazing. Morgause and Morgana are completely rewritten from the 'tradition' of other arthurian novels I've r ...more
I've never really been a big fan of Arthuriana, the "Matter of Britain." I have always preferred the humble realism and megalomaniacal narcissism of the real kings of medieval Britain and France, like Henry II and his devil's brood.
Joan Wolf brings to life these fantastic characters in a way that feels real. I always hated the way other treatments of this legend emasculated Arthur, supposedly the greatest king ever, and made him a fool for a beautiful flighty inconstant hussy who cheated on him ...more
Joan Wolf brings to life these fantastic characters in a way that feels real. I always hated the way other treatments of this legend emasculated Arthur, supposedly the greatest king ever, and made him a fool for a beautiful flighty inconstant hussy who cheated on him ...more
Ugh why did I suffer through this book?
I typically love all things Arthurian but as soon as this book took off into the land of mind reading and telepathic links I couldn't roll my eyes harder.
Road to Avalon is a romantic historical fiction focusing on a pleasant love affair between King Arthur and Morgan (who we know as the evil Morgan le Fey). Of course, many of the character tropes that legend has attributed to the standard characters were lost in this retelling, with it being similar to th ...more
I typically love all things Arthurian but as soon as this book took off into the land of mind reading and telepathic links I couldn't roll my eyes harder.
Road to Avalon is a romantic historical fiction focusing on a pleasant love affair between King Arthur and Morgan (who we know as the evil Morgan le Fey). Of course, many of the character tropes that legend has attributed to the standard characters were lost in this retelling, with it being similar to th ...more
I loved this book. Quite honestly it's been years since I read it and when i stumbled across it again on Amazon I had to get it.
I'm a fan of good Arthurian fiction and this fits the bill. The characters are all sympathetic and well-developed. Joan Wolf avoids the typical trap of making Morgan "bad" and Guinevere "good" (or vice versa).
Those who prefer a more mythic and magical approach to Arthurian legend might be disappointed in this book. Merlin is not a magician and Morgan is no witch. Howev ...more
I'm a fan of good Arthurian fiction and this fits the bill. The characters are all sympathetic and well-developed. Joan Wolf avoids the typical trap of making Morgan "bad" and Guinevere "good" (or vice versa).
Those who prefer a more mythic and magical approach to Arthurian legend might be disappointed in this book. Merlin is not a magician and Morgan is no witch. Howev ...more
This is an idealistic and romantic retelling of King Arthur with all the magic taken out of the mix. It utilises a mixed bag approach of multiple POVs and is a very easily read book, starting from when Arthur is nine years old and taken from his abusive home situation to Avalon, where he meets Morgan (Merlin's daughter) and Cai (who's probably Gawain?). I am not a King Arthur expert and only picked this book to find more of the history and genre. This book did not disappoint.
Having read many of ...more
Having read many of ...more
I am a major Arthurian legend fan, I have been for years. My favorite series is Mary Stewart series, especially the “Crystal Cave” because I love the story of Merlin’s youth.
This book is a completely different version from most of the Arthurian legend books I have read, and I have read many. The biggest differences is the lack, with the exception of one, truly bad major character. The other is the way in which the characters are related. Merlin is Morgause, Igraine and Morgan’s father, though ...more
This book is a completely different version from most of the Arthurian legend books I have read, and I have read many. The biggest differences is the lack, with the exception of one, truly bad major character. The other is the way in which the characters are related. Merlin is Morgause, Igraine and Morgan’s father, though ...more
This is the first book I've read about King Arthur. So, I didn't have any strong feelings about how or what should happen. I'm not a student of European History so I have no idea about the history at all.
This is the second novel I've read by Joan Wolf. The first was 'No Dark Place' which I did not enjoy at all. 'The Road to Avalon' however I enjoyed very much.
I enjoyed the story, the characters and their relationships. The story is somewhat simple but very emotional with complicated relationship ...more
This is the second novel I've read by Joan Wolf. The first was 'No Dark Place' which I did not enjoy at all. 'The Road to Avalon' however I enjoyed very much.
I enjoyed the story, the characters and their relationships. The story is somewhat simple but very emotional with complicated relationship ...more
This was a very nice book. It came to me highly recommended, particularly because of the romance between Arthur and Morgan, however I found it hard to feel passionate about any of the characters or plot lines. The majority of characters are nice people. They start out nice and they finish nice; there is very little character progression at all. All of the expected elements of Arthurian legend are there, they just seem to lack substance.
I found the parts while they were children growing up to be ...more
I found the parts while they were children growing up to be ...more
I thought this book would be another fantasy/legend about the days of King Arthur which is probably why I passed it up when it was first published. I should not have assumed as this novel is very different from anything else I have read about Arthurian times. He comes across as a believable character in this novel, a magnetic personality, a leader of men, a believer that all of the island must become British in thought, word and deed. Bringing together so many groups at odds with each other thou
...more
I loved this book so much. In fact, I might say it's one of my favorites. This year I've been reading a lot of books having to do with Arthurian Legend. What makes this book stand out to me is how every single character is made out to be sympathetic, good, but with flaws that eventually lead to their downfalls. There is no one purely evil character. Gwenhwfer, Mordred, Morgan, they're all likable. Arthur/Morgan have this beautiful relationship too, one of the best portrayed. Another thing that m
...more
What I really enjoy about this Arthurian retelling are the Roman Britain setting and Arthur's characterization. Because 1) ROMAN BRITAIN!! (idk to me that is a very fascinating time period) and 2) Arthur is such a noble figure in this story. It's different from, say, The Once and Future King where he's the main character in The Sword and the Stone but then becomes a background character in the rest of the books (and still slightly a background figure in The Candle in the Wind but maybe I'm misre
...more
Mar 19, 2014
Lorraine
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
anyone who enjoys reading about King Arthur.
Recommended to Lorraine by:
Goodreads Recommendations
I loved this book ! Many thanks to Goodreads for recommending this book to me. The author used a 'different take' on this story than many others and I truly liked all of it. The ending was so very good, but sad. I had to put the book down for awhile and then I reread the ending again. It was beautifully written - not just the ending, but the whole book. Once I picked up the book, it was difficult for me to put down. I taught British Lit. to high school students, and I think that my students woul
...more
I cannot resist most Arthurian novels my favourite being The Merlin series by Mary Stewart and the Queen of camelot by Nancy McKenzie
This novel focuses on the relationship between Morgan (here Merlins daughter) and Arthur. Morgan being Arthur's love of his life
But sympathetic portrayal of Gwenhwyfhar too and her relationship with Bedwyr (who is Lancelot )
Great read, good grasp of Britain at the time
The villain of the piece is usually a minor character in Arthurian literature , but it is well br ...more
This novel focuses on the relationship between Morgan (here Merlins daughter) and Arthur. Morgan being Arthur's love of his life
But sympathetic portrayal of Gwenhwyfhar too and her relationship with Bedwyr (who is Lancelot )
Great read, good grasp of Britain at the time
The villain of the piece is usually a minor character in Arthurian literature , but it is well br ...more
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Cheesy version of what are usually fascinating characters.
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Joan Wolf is a USA TODAY bestselling American writer, whose acclaimed Regency romances have earned her national recognition as a master of the genre. Her many historical and contemporary romances, some of which have been chosen as Literary Guild selections, have been highly praised by reviewers and authors alike.
Joan was born in 1951 and she grew up in the Bronx, New York. A former English teacher ...more
Joan was born in 1951 and she grew up in the Bronx, New York. A former English teacher ...more
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